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Various types of styles of yoga have existed and been practiced over the years. The modern-day practice of toga in Western cultures typically involves physical postures or poses, breathing control techniques, and meditation. Commonly, a group of persons may gather in a single room to practice yoga under the lead of an instructor (sometimes referred to as a “yogacharya”). It is typical for each person in the room to sit or stand on an individual yoga mat throughout each yoga session. While some yoga studios do make lockers available for storage of personal items cell phones, keys, sun glasses and yoga mat carrying bags, it is not unusual for persons to eschew use of such lockers, opting instead to place such personal items on the floor near their yoga respective yoga mats. Also, individuals often wish to have work out towels with them while practicing yoga and such towels are commonly placed on the floor along with their other items of personal property. Such items lying on the floor can be unsightly and/or may present a slip-and-fall hazard.
A standard yoga mat typically comprises a sheet of foamed or solid elastomeric material (e.g., polyvinyl chloride (PVC)) having a thickness in the range of about ⅙ inch to about ¼ inch. In some more complex yoga mats, a plurality of layers of different material are used. For example, yoga mats sold for use in hot yoga or Bikram yoga may have an absorbent upper layer (e.g., terry cloth material) permanently affixed to an elastomeric mat lower layer such that the elastomeric lower layer will contact the underlying floor while the yoga practitioner sits/stands on the towel-like upper layer. The towel like upper layer may then absorb perspiration. One commercially available example is the Breath™ Yoga Mat marketed by Breathe Yoga Mats or Vancouver, British Columbia which has a cotton terry top layer, a middle layer of absorbent cushioning fibers and a coated, brushed bottom layer for gripping the underlying floor surface. However, the multi-layer yoga mats of the prior art have typically not been designed to permit periodic detachment and laundering of the upper perspiration-absorbing layer.
The prior art has also included various other purported improvements and accessories relating to yoga mats, including those described in: U.S. Pat. No. 8,607,381 entitled Yoga Mat; U.S. Pat. No. 8,317,660 entitled Yoga Mat with Pose Markings; U.S. Pat. No. 8,192,330 entitled Yoga Mat with Intuitive Tactile for Visually Impaired; U.S. Pat. No. 7,955,224 entitled Yoga Mat with Intuitive Tactile Feedback for Visually Impaired; U.S. Pat. No. 7,108,635 entitled Yoga Mat with Body Contact Placement Indicia; U.S. Pat. No. 6,640,359 entitled Yoga Mat; U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,196 entitled Yoga Mat Holder; United States Patent Application Publication Nos. 2014/0069970 entitled Yoga Mat Carrying Bag Assembly; 2013/0180048 entitled Exercise Yoga Mat and Method of Using Same; 2013/0042408 entitled Smart Fold Yoga Mat; 2012/0324645 entitled Yoga Mat Incorporating Non-Slip Positioning Pads; 2012/0210512 entitled Yoga Mat; 2012/0076981 entitled Yoga Mat with Support and Traction; 2011/0118097 entitled Yoga Mat with Intuitive Tactile Feedback for Visually Impaired; 2011/0111926 entitled Yoga Mat with Pose Markings; 2010/00267535 entitled Yoga Mat; 2009/0241260 entitled Yoga Mat; 2009/0178267 entitled ID Clip for Yoga Mat; 2009/0078662 entitled Yoga Mat Storage Racks; 2009/0062076 entitled Yoga Mat with intuitive Tactile Feedback for Visually Impaired; 2007/0275827 entitled Yoga Mat; 2006/0073305 entitled Yoga Mat; 2005/0172402 Yoga Mat Carry Bag; 2004/0250346 entitled Anti-Slip Multi-Layer Yoga Mat; 2001/0034288 Yoga Mat with Body Contact Placement Indicia and the designs shown in U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D702,970; D699,980; D699,979; D698,187; D688,068; D678,703; D674,226; D671,784; D660,068; D657,987; D653,894; D646,517; D599,149; D589,289; D584,093; D572,068; D565,339; D554,208; D530,512 and D389,642. The entire disclosure of each of the patents and patent applications listed in this paragraph is expressly incorporated herein by reference.